Is Chicago experiencing a record string of 70-plus days?

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Is Chicago experiencing a record string of 70-plus days?

Dear Tom,It’s been quite a while since Chicago has had a high temperature under 70 degrees. Are we on pace for a record of consecutive days at 70 or higher?— Pat Byrne, Hoffman Estates
Dear Pat,
As of Saturday, Chicago had recorded 65 consecutive days with high temperatures of 70 degrees or higher. The first was May 26, when the high was 71, and readings have reached 70 degrees or higher on each day since then. However, it’s only toward the end of July, and Chicago’s warm season has plenty of time yet to run.
The record for consecutive 70-plus days stands at 117, recorded in 2005, when the string of days at or above 70 extended from May 29 through Sept. 22. On Sunday, the seven-day forecast called for Chicago’s high temperatures to exceed 70 degrees each day, and that would extend the string to 72 days — but still a long way shy of the 117-day record.
As of July 28, Chicago had seen 64 consecutive days with highs above 70 — far from the record.